IONE – The Ione School Board lost one member but added another to start its second year as an independent school district in Morrow County.

Joel Peterson, a longtime resident of Ione, was nominated unanimously to the board Monday night, during the school’s last meeting before classes starts at the end of the month.

Peterson replaces Debbie Radie after she moved to Boardman.

Peterson was chosen from a group of three applicants.

Chairman Joe McElligott said the board could not have gone wrong with any of the applicants, but they went with Peterson because of his dedication.

“He appeared to be able to devote the most time,” McElligott said.

“I went to school here, I grew up here, and I farm five miles from here,” said Peterson, who has three children in Ione schools.

Peterson ran for election to the board in the district’s first year but stepped down after there was a tie in the voting, McElligott said.

McElligott was elected to serve another year as chairman, and Gregg Rietmann will serve again as vice chairman.

Tuesday’s meeting was also the first meeting for new Ione Principal and Superintendent Bryn Browning, who has been working since July. Browning said her first meeting went well though there wasn’t much to report.

“It went really smooth, plus in July it was really slow,” Browning said.

Browning said there are still challenges to be met by the young district, including getting continued maintenance problems under control.

The new and remodeled school buildings have been plagued by technical problems.

“We’re hampered by limited funds,” Peterson said. “I think we should just stick with the key things and concentrate on education.”